Land access a ‘critical issue’

Donegal County Council has said ‘gaining access’ to the land is now a ‘critical issue’ in terms of maintaining the project programme for the new Cockhill Bridge.

A spokesperson for the Council, responding to a ‘Journal’ query on the progress of plans for the new bridge said: “Donegal County Council has continued to pursue an agreed purchase of the land required for the project, however, gaining access to the land is now a critical issue for the council in terms of maintaining the project programme.

“Donegal County Council intend tendering for contractors once the land has been secured.”

On June 11th last, it was announced by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Pascal Donohoe, that three million euro had been secured in funding for the construction of a new bridge.

The news was much welcomed, as there has been a decades-long campaign for the construction of a new bridge in Cockhill amid traffic safety and pedestrian concerns.

The new bridge is to be located south of the existing Cockhill Bridge as part of the outer relief road. The road will also have footways which would constitute a pedestrian route towards Buncrana. It is expected that once the new bridge is complete, the existing bridge would most likely become redundant for motor vehicles and could be used as a pedestrian/cycle route to access local amenities.